Method of operating a navigation system using images

1. A navigation system comprising:

a processor;

a geographic database stored on a computer readable medium; and

a guidance application executable on said processor to obtain data from the geographic database and to obtain a photographic image and to overlay an advertisement route highlight on said photographic image, wherein said photographic image provides a land-based view, wherein the advertisement route highlight graphically illustrates a path corresponding to a route and a direction of travel for the route, wherein the advertisement route highlight includes a series of advertisement decals.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said guidance application displays said photographic image with said advertisement route highlight on a display of the navigation system.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein said advertisement route highlight is superimposed on a path surface shown in the photographic image.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement decal is a company logo.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement decal is a coupon.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement decal is an image.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the advertisement decal is for a point of interest located proximate the current location of the navigation system.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said advertisement route highlight is animated.

9. A method of operating a navigation system comprising:

determining, by a processor, a route between an origin and a destination;

providing a photographic image showing a geographic area through which said route passes, wherein said photographic image shows the geographic area from a land-based viewpoint; and

providing an advertisement route highlight on said photographic image identifying a path corresponding to the route, wherein the advertisement route highlight includes a series of advertisement decals,

wherein said advertisement route highlight is superimposed on a path surface shown in the photographic image.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the advertisement decal is a company logo.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the advertisement decal is a coupon.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein the advertisement decal is for a point of interest located proximate the current location of the navigation system.

13. A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, a route between an origin and a destination;

providing a photographic image showing a geographic area through which said route passes, wherein said photographic image shows the geographic area from a land-based viewpoint; and

providing a route highlight on said photographic image identifying the route, wherein the route highlight includes a series of decals providing visual information representing at least one feature of the route or the destination,

wherein said route highlight including the series of decals is superimposed on a path surface shown in the photographic image.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one feature is an advertisement or a product or service offered at the destination.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one feature includes an attribute of a path of the route.

16. The method of claim 13 wherein the decal is an image of the destination or an image of an object or a person associated with the destination.

17. The method of claim 13 wherein the at least one feature includes a traffic condition, weather condition or current event along the route.

18. The method of claim 13 wherein the decals include an image of a road sign.

19. The method of claim 13 , wherein the series of decals convey maneuvers leading to a point of interest.

20. The method of claim 1 , wherein the series of advertisement decals convey maneuvers leading to a point of interest associated with the series of advertisement decals.